The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 116

Chapter 116. The Truth Is (3)

Emilia was easy to find. She was shivering with a pale face not far from the entrance of the forest. Without any hesitation, he grabbed Emilia by the waist and set her down in front of him.

“What are you doing here?”

“Louid.”

When the face she had longed to see appeared, her throat tightened and her voice came out half-choked. The fear vanished from her face in an instant.

Emilia, who instinctively buried her face in his chest, answered in a small voice, “I was looking for a lucky gift.”

“I see. But are you alright?” Louid asked as he looked her over.

“Yes, I’m alright.”

Even as she said she was fine, Emilia curled her body like a frightened squirrel and burrowed deeper into his arms. Her body was trembling.

‘Is she cold?’

It doesn’t look like she’s hurt…. He remembered that Emilia was sensitive to the cold. With autumn in full swing, the weather had grown quite chilly.

Louid wrapped one arm around Emilia and pulled her closer to him. Then something unpleasant caught his eye. His brow furrowed as if displeased.

“Why are you still wearing this?”

He unclasped the bracelet Emilia was wearing and flung it into the bushes. It was a swift, clean motion.

“It was given to me by Prince Ian.”

Emilia, who briefly lifted her head, spoke in a small, fading voice.

“If he asks about the bracelet, say you’re keeping it safely.”

“Yes, I understand.”

At his firm instruction, Emilia answered without hesitation. She hadn’t liked it either and had only been wearing it out of courtesy, so when Louid threw it away, she felt relieved instead.

After they left the forest and some time passed, Ian appeared at the same place. He had come by letting his horse catch the scent of mora flowers. The bracelet Louid threw away contained dried mora flowers.

‘Why isn’t it here?’

Ian looked around in confusion as he searched for Emilia. His horse had never lost the scent of mora flowers, so it was certain that Emilia had been here.

Did she go toward the waterfall?

He urged his horse deeper into the forest toward the waterfall.

Louid’s chest felt warm, like the embrace of a mother she had never known. Emilia clung to him as if he were her only refuge in this world and found a sense of calm.

“How did you get here?”

Once her trembling stopped, she raised her head and asked. She found it strange that Louid, who should have been absorbed in the hunt, had appeared at the back of the hunting grounds.

“I told you I’d come find you no matter where you are. It’d be better not to think about running away.”

Louid spoke in a tone that was neither fully joking nor entirely serious. Since he didn’t meet her eyes, it seemed like a casual remark.

But at the word running away, Emilia flinched and changed the subject.

“Yes…. But what if someone else wins while we’re here?”

Earlier, she had simply been happy that he appeared while she was trembling in fear, but once that fear eased a little, she realized he was in the middle of a hunting competition, and she worried she was taking up his time.

“It’s fine. I’ve taken first place every year, so I can yield this time.”

Unlike her, Louid looked completely relaxed. In truth, though Emilia didn’t know it, he had already caught more than enough prey to secure victory.

“What about Zelda?”

Zelda was following behind them at a slight distance. But she worried it might wander off somewhere along the way.

“Jamie will bring her, so don’t worry.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, why did you look so anxious earlier?”

“It reminded me of when I was kidnapped in the forest. I think it’s because I’m in a forest.”

“I see.”

Louid’s expression darkened. He thought she was shivering from the cold, but Emilia had been overwhelmed with fear. Louid pulled Emilia close to him again.

“I wonder if Levi is doing well.”

She said with a distant look. Thinking about what happened in the forest naturally brought Levi to mind.

“He’ll be fine. Monsters are strong.”

“That’s a relief.”

Emilia showed a relieved expression and nestled deeper into Louid’s arms. Curled up small, she realized that she loved him far more than she had thought.

‘How can I leave this person?’

Her worries deepened.

“…?”

When the chattering voice like a bird went quiet, Louid looked down. Emilia had fallen asleep before he knew it.

Louid rode as slowly as possible while looking at the sleeping Emilia. He wished this moment wouldn’t end.

‘The truth is….’

I don’t hate you. Emilia, look at me.

He swallowed the words he wanted to say and rode on in silence.

***

‘What is that?’

Lina, who had been sitting on a chair in front of the tent and leisurely enjoying the view, suddenly stood up. As the object that had looked like a dot in the distance became clear, her expectant face twisted in shock.

Isn’t that His Highness the Crown Prince and Emilia?

She thought they would come with Prince Ian, but she was being carried in Louid’s arms.

That can’t be….

“Send Emilia toward the waterfall in the valley. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Prince Ian said he would confess to the Crown Princess today and asked her to send Emilia toward the waterfall. So she brought up the story of the lucky gift, which had become a stale event that few people even bothered to look for anymore. Fortunately, Emilia took the bait and went toward the waterfall, but it seemed they didn’t meet.

What a useless prince.

Her plan was for the escort knights to witness Ian and Emilia together. If that happened, a report would naturally reach Louid, and Emilia would be branded in his eyes as a woman who committed an improper act.

But Louid must have met Emilia before Prince Ian did.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, welcome back.”

Lina greeted Louid politely, hiding her disappointment.

“The Crown Princess is asleep. Do not wake her.”

Louid gave the order without properly acknowledging her greeting.

“Yes, understood.”

Louid dismounted while holding Emilia in his arms. He went inside the tent, laid her on the cot, and looked at her silently. Then he gently smoothed her hair.

She must be tired.

During the founding festival, there had been a continuous series of events he had to attend for official duties, such as ceremonies, theater performances, concerts, and circuses. On top of that, she even participated in the riding competition herself. For someone with a weak body, it must have been very exhausting.

Tomorrow is the banquet….

Tomorrow, the last day of the founding festival, there would be a banquet that lasted late into the night.

It was also a banquet to celebrate his appointment as Crown Prince, and coincidentally, it was also his birthday. So both he and the Crown Princess had to attend.

Louid looked at Emilia for a while with a thoughtful gaze, then left the tent.

While Emilia was resting, the hunting competition came to an end, and as expected, he took first place.

After that, even inside the carriage returning to the imperial palace, Emilia’s complexion remained pale.

“Emilia, the founding festival is almost over now, so get some rest.”

“There’s still the banquet tomorrow,” Emilia answered in a weak voice.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to attend the banquet tomorrow. I’ll say you’re resting because you’re exhausted from the tight schedule.”

“If that’s alright….”

“It is,” Louid said firmly.

“Yes, I understand.”

Emilia answered with a faint smile. Her weak expression lingered in his mind, so that night, Louid did not go to her bedroom.

Emilia kept waking up at dawn. Each time she opened her eyes in the early morning, the absence of the person who was always there beside her felt especially large.

‘It seems he won’t come anymore.’

It might be because he’s being considerate of her, but since she kept refusing intimacy at night under the excuse that she wasn’t feeling well, perhaps he no longer felt the need to come.

She reached out and gently brushed the empty space beside her. For some reason, she missed his embrace more than ever today.

At the same time, Louid was also unable to sleep.

‘I should’ve gone.’

Lately, even with Emilia by his side, he had been spending sleepless nights. Tonight, he didn’t go because he wanted her to rest comfortably, but he regretted it.

He realized once again that she was someone who gave him strength just by being there through the night. And so, his sleepless nights continued.

The next day. As Louid had said, Emilia decided not to attend the banquet and rested in the bedroom.

“Your Highness, are you alright? Shall I call the physician?”

Helen, who came in with tea, asked with a worried expression.

“I must have overexerted myself. I’m fine, so there’s no need to call the royal physician,” said Emilia in a weak voice.

Her body wasn’t truly ill. She just felt tired for no reason and a little dizzy. And thinking that she would soon have to leave Louid suddenly made her feel sad.

***

That afternoon, Damian came to the Crown Prince’s palace.

“Sir Aide, you’re coming quite often, aren’t you?”

Lina, who was on afternoon duty, sneered at him. For no particular reason, she disliked Damian. Whenever she was walking through the imperial palace and suddenly turned around in surprise, he was always there. He wasn’t looking at her, but his pale blue eyes, which resembled Emilia’s, always made her uneasy.

“This is my second time at the Crown Prince’s palace. It seems you are always on duty whenever I come.”

Damian calmly pointed out the fact. The other ladies-in-waiting worked on a rotating schedule by day of the week, but since Lina came to the palace every day, she inevitably ran into him each time he visited.

“What brings you here today?”

Having nothing to say, Lina asked with a haughty glare. It irritated her that a mere aide kept answering her back.

“I came on behalf of Count Dalton to deliver a message to Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

“Her Highness is probably in the sitting room. Follow me.”

Holding her head high, she led Damian to the sitting room. Emilia was briefly away from her seat. After guiding Damian to the sofa, Lina stood nearby. But after a moment, the aide to the count said something absurd to her.